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Backlash over 'Lolita' bed

A campaign by mothers on the internet site Raising Kids.co.uk has resulted in a girls’ bedroom set named Lolita being withdrawn from sale. The reason? - "Lolita" is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov about a man who developed a sexual obsession with his 12-year-old stepdaughter. As a result the word "Lolita" has become slang for a sexually precocious young girl.

The Lolita Bed by Woolworths
Woolworth's Lolita Bed - now withdrawn from sale


It is hardly an appropriate name for bed designed for 6 year old girls! However it seems the staff at Woolworths were completely unaware of this until they received the complaints and looked up the word Lolita on Wikipedia.

The Film Adaptation of Lolita with Jeremy Irons
The Film Adaptation of Lolita with Jeremy Irons


The news agency Reuters makes a very valid point on the issue:

The British school system must not be all this it's cracked up to be, if the techies who manage a Web site aren't familiar with the sexual connotation of the word "Lolita."

Is Western society producing a generation of young people who can program an iPod and create a Web site, but don't know the first thing about literature and art?

It is a great example of an internet chat forum influencing major retailers. Perhaps someone could do the same with the Bratz range!

Bratz Sketch
Bratz Sketch

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Comments
4 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]
1. February 4th 2008 @ 00:55. Mrs M Says:
The British school system must not be all this it's cracked up to be, if the techies who manage a Web site aren't familiar with the sexual connotation of the word "Lolita."
Nicely put Rose.

You've got to wonder, who came up with this name and why of all the names in the world they chose this one.

Marketing departments spend a lot of time and money when it comes to naming and promoting a product. I'd love to know why they decided on this name.

Love & stuff
Mrs M
2. February 4th 2008 @ 04:41. Patricia 7 Says:
I wonder if they chose the name on purpose to draw attention to the product, but it failed?

3. February 4th 2008 @ 23:10. Harry Says:
Surely such a tactic would just backfire? People are very sensitive about children's advertising. I think it must have been ignorance on the part of a number of people.
4. February 4th 2008 @ 23:50. Patricia 7 Says:
I know, but how could they not know what the name "Lolita" represents? I guess I just find it hard to believe someone wouldn't know better.

And you know what they say about publicity,"bad is better than none." Not in this case, though.

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